Stonehenge 181
Image by Hob

TMA Ed wrote:
Lucky he didn't post that here as it would have been dismissed as typical amateur speculation. How can loads of chippings lying around be evidence people were taking them away?
Actually, this makes perfect sense (though I'm not saying his theory is correct). Firstly, if you chip away at a stone, it's likely to result in several other small fragments falling to the ground. Secondly, if you are chipping at a stone to remove a piece (e.g. to fashion into a piece of jewellry?) you may well dislodge several chips before getting one of the size and shape you need.

As I say, I'm not supporting this theory, just pointing out that the presence of loads of chippings could well be the result of people taking other chippings away.

I guess so, though it's hard to imagine the equivalent of EH letting people vandalise it.

I suppose it might have happened later, when the monument was abandoned but there was still a belief it had healing properties?